According to the lore of Iron Chef, Chairman Kaga is an eccentric millionaire who lives in an opulent castle, where he has constructed a "Kitchen Stadium" to showcase elaborate cooking duels between gourmet chefs battling for "the people's ovation and fame forever".

The program's back story is fictional, of course, but Takeshi Kaga's delightfully hammy performance in the role was perfect. A well-known stage actor in Japan, he has played the lead in theatrical productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Misérables, and West Side Story. He also hosted the Japanese game show Time Shock 21, and has done voice work in several anime motion pictures.